Apple is scaling back its 2026 hardware shipment plans because of DRAM shortages, analyst Ming‑Chi Kuo said. Kuo linked the production cuts directly to tight memory availability and its effect on Apple’s ability to source DRAM for devices.
DRAM shortage and TSMC inventory claim
Kuo made the remarks in a longer piece disputing a recent report that TSMC was holding about US$1 billion of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips Apple could not secure. He said Apple plans processor production at least three months in advance based on the amount of memory expected to be available, and that Apple does not have TSMC build large numbers of wafers far ahead of time. Kuo said he believes memory shortages are real but that there has been no dramatic scenario in which TSMC built up US$1 billion of work in progress and then had to wait for memory before packaging could proceed.
Product and price impacts
Kuo said memory shortages have already affected the Mac Studio, Mac mini and MacBook Air, and that ongoing supply problems will also affect upcoming iPhone models. Memory manufacturers have been prioritizing supply for AI data centers because those contracts are more profitable, leaving less capacity for consumer device DRAM. The constrained supply has driven prices up and produced long wait times for some products. Apple raised prices on all of its Macs and iPads in June, and iPhone prices are expected to increase in September.
The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and a foldable iPhone Ultra could be available only in limited quantities because of the memory problems, and Kuo expects those devices will sell out during the preorder period.
